Monitoring camera and mount

ABSTRACT

A video monitoring system includes a camera head, which includes an infrared illumination source and an image sensor and is configured to transmit streaming video signals generated by the image sensor. A mount is configured to hold the camera head in a fixed location and orientation above a bed such that the image sensor captures images from a bird&#39;s eye view of a child in the bed. A processor is configured to receive and analyze the video signals so as to extract and provide information to a client device with regard to a behavior of the child.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/931,601, filed May 14, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/091,989, filed Oct. 7, 2018 (now U.S. Pat. No.10,708,550), in the national phase of PCT Patent ApplicationPCT/US2017/031486, filed May 7, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application 62/333,227, filed May 8, 2016, and ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/333,294, filed May 9, 2016.PCT/US2017/031486 is a continuation in part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/361,702, filed Nov. 28, 2016 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,165,230),which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/681,573,filed Apr. 8, 2015 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,530,080), which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/976,666, filed Apr. 8,2014. All of these related applications are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to sleep monitoring, andparticularly to apparatus, systems and methods for video-basedmonitoring of a sleeping infant.

BACKGROUND

Video-based sleep monitors for infants are known in the art. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 8,922,653 describes a crib mobile andsurveillance system which communicates video data captured by a camerawithin a mobile member housing, and sounds received by a microphonedisposed in a base, to a handheld monitor. The video data are displayedand broadcast in real time on a monitor screen on the handheld monitorto remotely monitor a child lain in a crib having the present device.

As another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0342693describes a video-enabled baby monitoring system including a transmitterwith a camera feature, which captures motion and includesmicroprocessors that generate a series of video signal codes, which aretransmitted at specific radio frequencies to a dedicated receiver unit.The transmitter unit also includes an infrared light source and a soundcapture source, wherein the sound capture source generates sound signalcodes. Another unit provides for enhanced, convenient data transfer fromthe transmitter unit and may be selected from a number of adaptordocking stations; or a smart phone platform; or a docking cradle withWi-Fi capability.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention that are described hereinbelowprovide devices, systems and methods for monitoring an infant in a crib.

There is therefore provided, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention, a video monitoring system, including a camera head, whichincludes an infrared illumination source and an image sensor. A mount isconfigured to hold the camera head in a fixed location and orientationabove a crib, so that the image sensor captures images of the crib andan intervention region adjacent to the crib from a fixed perspective.

In the disclosed embodiments, the mount is selected from a set of mountsincluding a base having multiple legs for floor mounting and a flat basefor at least one of shelf mounting and wall mounting, and the camerahead is configured to be attached to and detached from any of the mountsin the set. In one embodiment, the camera head includes a receptacleconfigured to accept a plug on the mount, and the plug on each of themounts has a distinguishing feature that fits into the receptacle andenables the camera head to identify the mount to which the camera headis attached.

In one embodiment, the mount includes a tripod base including threelegs, wherein one of the legs is rotatable or removable in order totransform the mount from a freestanding configuration to awall-supported configuration. Additionally or alternatively, the mountis configured to stand between the crib and a wall adjacent to the criband includes at least one overmolded set screw, which is configured bothto enable rotation and locking of the mount and to serve as a bumperagainst the wall.

Typically, the infrared illumination source directs infraredillumination toward the crib from a lower side of the camera head. In adisclosed embodiment, the camera head includes a night light, which isconfigured to emit visible illumination from an upper side of the camerahead.

In some embodiments, the camera head is configured to transmit streamingvideo signals generated by the image sensor. In a disclosed embodiment,the camera head is configured to transmit the streaming video signalsover a local network in data packets that are addressed so that thevideo signals are forwarded both to a local client device on the localnetwork and via a public network to a remote server, from which videoimages are available to a remote client device.

Additionally or alternatively, the system includes a server, wherein thecamera head is configured to transmit the streaming video signals overthe network to the server, and the server is configured to analyze thevideo signals so as to extract and provide behavioral informationregarding sleep patterns of an infant in the crib. Typically, the serveris further configured to analyze the video signals so as to detectactions taken by a caregiver in the intervention region.

There is also provided, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention, sleep monitoring apparatus, including a memory, which isconfigured to receive and store a stream of images captured by a cameramounted over a crib in which an infant is put to sleep. A processor isconfigured to analyze the stream of the images so as to detect and logevents associated with sleep behavior of the infant.

In some embodiments, the images include an intervention region adjacentto the crib, and at least some of the events that are detected andlogged by the processor are based on analyzing actions of a caregiver inthe intervention region. Typically, the processor is configured toclassify the images according to states, selected from a set of statesincluding an infant awake state, an infant asleep state, an infant awayfrom crib state, and a caregiver visiting state. In a disclosedembodiment, the processor is configured to classify a sequence of theimages in which changes are identified in the intervention region asbelonging to the caregiver visiting state. Additionally oralternatively, the processor is configured to output messages to aclient device responsively to events including predefined transitionsamong the states. Further additionally or alternatively, the processoris configured to classify the images in the caregiver visiting stateinto sub-states including a check-in sub-state, a taking care sub-state,an infant removal sub-state and an infant placement sub-state.

Further additionally or alternatively, the processor is configured tooutput a summary of the logged events to a client device. In a disclosedembodiment, the processor is configured to present the summary in agraphical form, which indicates states of the sleep behavior of theinfant and visits by a caregiver and respective periods of time duringwhich the states occurred. In another embodiment, the summary includesvideo clips associated with the logged events for display on the clientdevice. In a further embodiment, the processor is configured to evaluatea quality of sleep of the infant, based on the logged events.

There is additionally provided, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention, a method for monitoring, which includes providing a camerahead, including an infrared illumination source and an image sensor formounting in a fixed location and orientation above a crib. An imagecaptured by the camera head is displayed, while overlaying on the imagea graphical element corresponding to desired boundaries of the crib in alocation in the image chosen so that when an actual boundary of the cribin the image is aligned with the graphical element, the image sensorcaptures images of the crib and an intervention region adjacent to thecrib from a fixed perspective.

There is further provided, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention, a method for sleep monitoring, which includes receiving astream of images captured by a camera mounted over a crib in which aninfant is put to sleep. The stream of the images is analyzed so as todetect and log events associated with sleep behavior of the infant.

The present invention will be more fully understood from the followingdetailed description of the embodiments thereof, taken together with thedrawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a system forinfant sleep monitoring, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2A is a schematic pictorial illustration of a sleep monitoringdevice mounted over an infant's crib, in accordance with an embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 2B is a schematic top view of the sleep monitoring device and cribof FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded view of a wall-mounted sleep monitoringdevice, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic top and bottom pictorial views,respectively, of a monitoring camera head, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram that schematically shows functional details ofa sleep monitoring device, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic pictorial view of a table-mounted sleep monitoringdevice, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic pictorial view of a freestanding sleep monitoringdevice, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8A is a schematic pictorial view of a sleep monitoring device witha wall-assisted floor mount, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 8B is a schematic pictorial view of a sleep monitoring device witha wall-assisted floor mount, in accordance with another embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of an over-molded set screw used ina wall-assisted floor mount of a sleep monitoring device, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic representation of user interface screensin a sleep monitoring system, in accordance with embodiments of theinvention; and

FIG. 11 is a summary plot of nighttime activity presented by a sleepmonitoring system, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Overview

The above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 9,530,080 describes a system formonitoring a baby, comprising a camera head configured at a predefinedworking point above a baby crib to obtain visual output signals. Anetwork interface controller transfers the visual output signals toclient devices and to an analysis server. The analysis server performscomputer vision and machine learning analysis on the visual outputsignals, compares the computer vision and machine learning analysis tocomparative data, correlates the computer vision and machine learninganalysis to events based on the comparison, and transmits messages basedon the events correlating to the computer vision and machine learninganalysis to the client devices.

Some embodiments of the present invention that are described hereinbelowprovide camera heads of this sort, along with camera mounts andancillary devices, with enhanced ease of use, versatility, reliabilityand safety. The camera head is designed and configured to have a bird'seye view from a fixed, well-defined location above the crib (i.e., alocation that does not change over long periods, although the precisechoice of location can differ from one installation to another) in orderto enable efficient and reliable processing of the images captured bythe camera head. The camera head can be attached to and detached from anumber of different mounting solutions (in addition to the crib mountdescribed in the above-mentioned patent application), includingfreestanding, wall-mounted, and shelf-mounted versions. In all cases,the camera head is oriented in a fixed position above the crib and outof reach of the child. The camera head is designed to be portable to thedegree that it can be attached to a travel base that can be easilycarried and placed on a suitable dresser or shelf, for example. Theelectronic components are contained inside the camera shell, whichfacilitates simple attachment to different bases and mounting solutions.

In other embodiments that are described herein, an analysis serveranalyzes video and other data in order to extract and provide behavioralinformation associated with infant sleep patterns, along with caregiverinteractions with the infant. This information can be presented, interalia, as part of a downloadable application (“app”), which runs on aclient device, such as the smartphone of a parent or other caregiver,and receives data from the analysis server, as well as a video streamfrom the monitoring camera itself. The server thus assists caregiversnot only in observing the present state of the infant, but also inunderstanding and modifying behavioral patterns in a way that canimprove the infant's sleeping habits.

System Description

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a system 20 forinfant sleep monitoring, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. A monitoring camera head 22 is mounted in a fixed locationand orientation above a crib 24, in which an infant 26 is sleeping in aresidence 28. Camera head 22 transmits digitized streaming video, andpossibly other signals, as well, over a local network to a router 30,typically via a wireless local area network (LAN) link, such as a Wi-Ficonnection, or a wired link, such as an Ethernet connection.

Camera head 22 transmits the digitized video data in packets that areaddressed so that router 30 forwards the video packets both to a localclient device 32 on the local network and via a public network 36, suchas the Internet, to a remote server 38. Client device 32 typicallycomprises a smart phone, tablet or personal computer, which enables acaregiver 34 in another room of residence 28 to monitor infant 26, evenwhen there is no Internet connection available. Server 38 makes videoimages available to authorized remote client devices 44, thus enabling acaregiver 46 to monitor infant 26 at any location where there is accessto public network 36. The Wi-Fi or other local network connectionprovides reliable video streaming from camera head 22 to client device32 with high bandwidth and low latency, even if the external Internetconnection is not working. As long as the Internet is connected,however, the video stream is also transmitted to server 38 for purposesof analysis and retransmission.

Server 38 typically comprises a general-purpose computer, comprising aprocessor 40 and a memory 42, which receives, stores and analyzes imagesfrom camera head 22 in residence 28 and similarly from other cameras inother residences (not shown). Processor 40 analyzes the images andprovides caregivers 34 and 46 with reports regarding the infant'ssleeping patterns, as well as evaluations and suggestions to assist thecaregivers in improving the infant's sleep habits. Some examples ofthese reporting and evaluation functions are described hereinbelow.Processor 40 typically performs these functions under the control ofsoftware, which may be downloaded to server 38 in electronic form, overa network, for example, as well as stored on tangible, non-transitorycomputer-readable media, such as magnetic, optical or electronic memorymedia. Alternatively or additionally, some of the processing andmonitoring functions may be performed locally, for example by amicroprocessor in camera head 22. Further alternatively or additionally,camera head 22 may transmit only a portion of the video data to server38, such as video segments in which infant 26 is moving.

FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically show details of the deployment and use ofmonitoring camera head 22 over crib 24, in accordance with an embodimentof the invention. FIG. 2A is a pictorial illustration, while FIG. 2B isa top view. In this embodiment, monitoring camera head 22 stands againsta wall over crib 24. The wall-standing configuration is recommended whenthe crib is placed against the wall for two reasons: The user can pushthe crib all the way against the wall; and two bumpers on the verticalpart of the mount (shown in FIG. 9 ) add extra friction that make itharder for a child to rock the mount from side to side. In both thewall-standing and free-standing configurations, the mount cannot fallinto the crib, and at worst will fall on the floor outside the crib. Inaddition, the mount can be fixed to the wall for additional security.

Camera head 22 is held at the end of an arm at the upper end of a tripodmount (shown in greater detail in FIGS. 7 and 8A/B). The arm is designedso that: 1) Caregiver 34 can place infant 26 in crib 24 without comingacross or bumping the arm; 2) Caregiver 34 can easily reach camera head22 to detach it from and attach it to the mount when desired; and 3) Atwo-year-old child will not be able to reach the mount at the pointwhere it starts bending and thus will not be able to hang from the arm.

Camera head 22 is placed behind crib 24, at the midpoint of the longside of the crib. The natural curve of the freestanding mount achievesthe optimal starting point angle (with elevation of approximately 20°above the horizontal) for the camera head. To allow flexibility inmounting position, the camera head has rotation and elevationarticulation directions, as illustrated in the figures that follow.Camera head 22 is positioned and adjusted so that the camera head has afield of view 50 from a fixed perspective that encompasses the area ofcrib 24, along with an intervention region 52 adjacent to the crib. Thisperspective provides server 38 with image information that can beanalyzed conveniently and reliably to detect both motions of infant 26and actions taken by caregiver 34 in relation to the infant. Adjustmentof the camera mount (as described further hereinbelow) enables thecamera head angle to be changed as necessary to accommodate differentmounting locations.

After assembling and setting up camera head 22 in this manner, caregiver34 performs a simple calibration procedure: The caregiver views thevideo stream output by the camera head, for example on device 32 usingan application dedicated to the camera, as described hereinbelow. Thedesired crib boundaries are overlaid as a graphical element on theimage, at an offset from the center of the image chosen so that theimage will also include intervention region 52. The caregiver adjuststhe camera head until the actual crib boundaries match the desiredboundaries shown in the overlay, and then locks the camera position.With camera head 22 locked in position, caregiver 34 clicks an “OK”control on device 32, and the camera captures an initial referenceimage. Subsequently, when the camera is in actual use, the capturedimages are registered and compared to this initial reference image inorder to detect changes in the field of view. This registered image canthen become the new reference image.

Monitoring Cameras

FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded view of a wall-mounted sleep monitoringdevice 60, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Inthis embodiment, a monitoring camera head 62 (similar or identical indesign to camera head 22 mentioned above) is held in place by a base 64,which is mounted directly on the wall, for example by a screw-inbracket. Camera head 62 is attached to base 64 by an arm 66.

A plug 68 at the end of arm 66 engages a matching socket on camera head62 (shown in FIGS. 4A/B), which provides power to the camera head whilepermitting caregivers to transfer the camera head easily among differentbases. Camera head 62 can be attached to various other types of mounts,as well, such as freestanding mounts (shown in the figures that follow)and mounts that attach to the crib or the ceiling. The plug on eachmount has a distinguishing feature, such as a protruding pin of adifferent size, which fits into a receptacle on the camera head andenables the camera head to distinguish between different mounts. Thisinformation is useful in checking and updating the assumptions used incomputerized analysis of the images output by the camera head.

An angle adjustment dial 70 enables the user to adjust the rotation andelevation angles of camera head 62. In some embodiments, dial 70 must tobe pushed in order to change the orientation of the camera head.Consequently, when the dial is released, the viewing angle is locked,thus preventing the camera head from being moved up or downunintentionally. Alternatively, friction-based mechanisms may be used tolock the viewing angle. As noted earlier, it is helpful to keep thecamera head in a fixed position to ensure that the computer visionalgorithms applied by server 38 to the images of infant 26 will runaccurately.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 4A/B and 5, which schematically showdetails of monitoring camera head 62, in accordance with an embodimentof the invention. FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic top and bottom pictorialviews of camera head 62, respectively, while FIG. 5 is a block diagramshowing functional elements of sleep monitoring device 60. Variousfeatures of device 60 are shown in the figures and describedhereinbelow. Although these features can advantageously be bundledtogether in the manner shown here, alternative embodiments may have onlyone or a certain subset of these features, possibly in combination withother features and design elements that are known in the art. All suchcombinations are considered to be within the scope of the presentinvention.

The components of camera head 62 are contained inside a case 72, havinga receptacle 78 for attachment to plug 68 on arm 66 (FIG. 3 ). Aninfrared (IR) light-emitting diode (LED) 76 on the lower side of case 72illuminates the sleeping infant 26. A diffuser can be used to spread theinfrared light uniformly across the crib. The diffuser is also usefulin 1) reducing the red-glow effect of the IR LEDs when looking at thecamera head from below; and 2) minimizing the risk of IR radiation tothe child's retina. Camera head 62 comprises an infrared-sensitive imagesensor 74, which may conveniently have a standard 4:3 aspect ratio tofit the size of a standard crib 24 with the addition of interventionregion 52 alongside the crib. The resolution and sensitivity of sensor74 are optimized for night conditions.

The top part of camera head 62 comprises a night light 82, which emitsvisible illumination. This part of case 72 is made of a semi-transparentplastic, and contains a reflector with an LED inside to support thenight light effect. Night light 82 is directed toward the ceiling sothat the infant at any location inside crib 24 will not see a directlight. The illumination is strong enough to enable caregiver 34 to seewhat is happening in the crib, but low enough to avoid waking the child.Night light 82 can be gradually dimmed on and off so that there will notbe a drastic change in lighting that could wake the infant. The lightinglevel can be controlled by pulse-width modulation, at frequencies highenough to prevent the stimulation of an epileptic seizure in a child whomay be susceptible.

Camera head 62 transmits streaming video signals over a wireless LAN(Wi-Fi) connection, using a directional antenna 86: Because the camerahead is located in a known, fixed position above crib 24, the antenna isdesigned to minimize emission of radiation in the downward direction.Wi-Fi pairing can be performed using a Bluetooth® low-energy (BLE) link,without the need for a QR code. Pairing takes place automatically or canbe invoked by pressing a Wi-Fi button 80 on camera head 62.

Camera head 62 optionally includes additional sensors and/or outputdevices, such as a microphone 88 and an audio speaker 90, as well astemperature and humidity sensors 92. These latter sensors can be mountedexternally to case 72 (rather than inside the shell) in order to providemore accurate readings.

One or more status LEDs 94 are located in a position that is easilyvisible to caregiver 34, such as at the front-top side of camera head62. For example, camera head 62 may comprise one white LED with severalstates, such as No light, Blinking light, and Light on. Alternatively,night light 82 can perform these signaling functions. When all is well,the light will initially be on and will then slowly (over the course ofa few minutes) be turned down to avoid any unnecessary light in theroom.

An internal microcontroller 84 coordinates the functions of camera head62 under control of suitable software or firmware.

FIG. 6 is a schematic pictorial view of a table-mounted sleep monitoringdevice 100, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.Camera head 62 is the same as in the preceding embodiment, but in thiscase is mounted at the end of a stem 104 on a horizontal base 102, withan angle control knob or screw 106. Camera head 62 can readily betransferred by caregiver 34 from one mount to another by pressing anunlock button 108 on stem 104 with one hand while the other hand pullsthe camera head away from the base. In an alternative embodiment, camerahead 62 may be disconnected from stem 104 simply by pulling the camerahead out of the stem, without a dedicated unlocking mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a schematic pictorial view of a freestanding sleep monitoringdevice 110, in accordance with an additional embodiment of theinvention. Camera head 62 in this case is mounted on an arm at the topof a stem 112, with a freestanding tripod base, comprising two side legs114 and a forward leg 116, which is held by a knuckle 120. The baseshown in the figure is useful in creating a small packaging size and lowoverall weight of the product. The tripod can be switched to awall-standing configuration (as shown in FIG. 2A) by rotating orremoving knuckle 120, as illustrated in FIGS. 8A/B.

Camera head 62 receives electrical power from a cable (not shown), whichruns through stem 112 and a rigid conduit 118 to a suitable outlet. Forconvenient shipping and subsequent assembly, stem 112 and conduit 118may be broken into interlocking sections with a pre-threaded cableinside (for example, a USB cable that can support both power and, ifdesired, network connections). To assembly device 110, the user simplyfits the sections together on site and then connects the cable to theoutlet.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic pictorial views of sleep monitoring device110 in wall-supported floor mount configurations, in accordance withfurther embodiments of the invention. In these configurations, device110 stands on the floor but is stabilized by leaning against a wall, forexample as illustrated in FIG. 2A. To change from the freestandingconfiguration of FIG. 7 to the wall-assisted configuration of FIG. 8A,the user simply loosens knuckle 120, rotates leg 116 by 180° around stem112, and then retightens the knuckle. Alternatively, forward leg 116 maybe removed entirely, as shown in FIG. 8B. In either case, conduit 118 isturned to run along the base of the wall below crib 24.

Stem 112 includes one or more set screws 122 with a soft plasticovermold, which serve two functions: The set screws allow the rotationangle of the camera head about the base to be adjusted and locked in theproper orientation; and they act as bumpers against the wall to preventdamage to the wall and prevent movement of the base from side to side.

FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view showing details of set screw 122 onstem 112, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Stem 112comprises interlocking sections 132 and 134, which can be rotatedrelative to one another about the stem axis. Set screw 122 can betightened by hand so that a tip 138 of the set screw engages and lockssection 134 in place relative to section 132. A soft plastic overmold136 on set screw 122 presses against the wall behind crib 24, thusperforming the bumper function mentioned above.

Caregiver Interaction

FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic representations of user interfacescreens 140, 142 that are presented on client devices, such as devices32 and 44, in sleep monitoring system 20, in accordance with embodimentsof the invention. Screen 140 presents a live feed, while screen 142presents summary information. Thus, a video area 144 in screen 140 showslive images captured by the monitoring camera mounted over the crib,along with a status message 146 and event summaries 150. On the otherhand, video area 144 in screen 142 presents images of selected eventsthat occurred during the night, as detected and logged by server 38,together with an event message 148 listing the corresponding events. Asummary section 152 gives an overview of the night's sleep activity, asdescribed further hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 11 .

Server 38 detects events and generates messages 146 and 148 byprocessing the images captured by monitoring camera head 22. An imageanalysis program running on the server divides the image into two parts:inside crib 24 (I), and outside the crib (O), i.e., in interventionregion 52 (FIG. 2B). Video segments with identified changes in pixels insection (I) over a series of consecutive frames are classified as Awake.Video segments with identified changes in pixels in section (O) along aseries of consecutive frames are classified as Visit. Segments betweenAwake-Awake, Visit-Awake, and Awake-Visit are classified as Asleep,while other segments are classified as Away, meaning that the infant isnot in the crib.

Furthermore, the Visit state can be divided into sub-states depending onthe nature of the caregiver interaction, for example: check-in, takingcare, and removing the infant from of or placing the infant in the crib.To distinguish between these states, server analyzes movement occurringboth in the crib and in the intervention region. If the infant is in thecrib and movement is detected outside the crib, the visit sub-state isclassified as “check-in.” If the infant is in the crib and movementoccurs both outside and inside the crib, the visit sub-state isclassified as “taking care.” If the infant is in the crib, movement isdetected outside of the crib, and then subsequently there is no infantin the crib, then the visit sub-state is “removal of infant,” and viceversa for “placement of infant” in the crib.

Table I below presents example events, based on changes in the states ofthe images analyzed by server 38, along with the messages to thecaregiver that are generated in response to each event. As notedearlier, these events relate to the behavior of both the infant andcaregivers, and thus can assist caregivers in modifying their ownbehavior in a way that will encourage good sleep habits by the infant.Status message 146 typically lists the most recent event, along with thetime elapsed since its occurrence, while event message 148 lists eventsthat occurred in the course of the night.

TABLE I BEHAVIORAL EVENTS AND MESSAGES Transition Scenario in the videoMessaging Away −> Visit −> Caregiver is putting baby in bed Danny wasput to bed already Asleep asleep sleeping Away −> Visit −> Caregiver isputting baby in bed Danny was put to bed awake Awake −> Asleep awake andbaby falls asleep by and quickly fell asleep without himself after lessthan 2 minutes help. Away −> Visit −> Caregiver is putting baby in bedDanny was put to bed awake Awake awake Awake −> Asleep Baby falls asleepby himself after X Danny fell asleep without help minutes (more than 2min) after X minutes. Sleep success! Asleep −> Awake −> Baby wakes upafter sleeping for Y Danny woke up briefly after Asleep hours and fallsasleep in X minutes sleeping Y hours, then fell (less than 10 min) backto sleep without any help in X minutes. Asleep −> Awake Baby wakes upafter sleeping for Y Danny slept Y hours and then hours woke up for abit Awake −> Asleep Baby falls asleep in X minutes (more Danny fell backto sleep than 10) without any help after X minutes. Asleep −> Awake −>Caregiver intervenes less than 5 Danny woke up and was taken Visitminutes after baby wakes up care of right away Asleep −> Awake Babywakes up Danny woke up after sleeping Y hours Awake −> Visit Caregiverintervenes more than 5 Someone checked up on and minutes after babywakes up took care of Danny Asleep −> Awake −> Caregiver removes thebaby from Danny slept for Y hours, woke Visit −> Away crib less than 5minutes after the up and then was taken out of baby wakes up the cribAsleep −> Awake Baby wakes up Danny woke up after sleeping for Y hoursAwake −> Visit −> Caregiver removes the baby from Danny was taken out ofthe Away crib more than 5 minutes later crib Asleep −> Visit −>Caregiver removes the sleeping baby Danny was taken out of the Away fromcrib crib while still sleeping Asleep −> Visit −> Caregiver approachesthe crib, does Someone quickly checked up Asleep something (e.g., coversthe baby with on Danny -- everything looked a blanket or puts inpacifier), then good! goes away Asleep −> Visit * If the visit is longSomeone checked up on Danny Visit −> Asleep Danny was left alone to getsome zzz's.

The content in the messaging column above is described by way ofexample, and other implementations are also considered to be within thescope of current invention. For instance, “Someone checked up on Danny”can be switched with “Danny had a visitor” or “Caregiver visited Danny,”etc.

FIG. 11 shows details of summary section 152 of nighttime activitypresented on screen 142, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Section 152 includes a time plot 154, which displayscaregiver presence in the scene of the crib and correlates it withinfant sleep and wake periods, temperature and humidity. The plot alsodisplays periods in which the infant was not in the crib. Specifically,plot 154 is made up of bars 156 showing periods during which the infantwas asleep in the crib, bars 158 indicating the periods during which theinfant was out of the crib, bars 160 indicating caregiver visits, andbars 162 indicating periods during which the infant was awake in thecrib. Plot 154 thus enables caregivers to visualize the entire patternof their interactions with the infant and its effect on infant sleep andwaking periods.

Section 152 also provides other summary information, including a plot164 of temperature (as measured by sensor 92) and sleep and waking timedata 166 computed by server 38.

Server 38 may analyze and present, on screen 142, separate videosummaries of nighttime and daytime activities. These summaries includetime-lapse video clips in window 144, along with corresponding eventmessages 148, as described above. The night summary can use sleepanalytics to generate a sleep quality score, based on criteria such astime to sleep onset, total time asleep, sleep efficiency (total timeasleep divided by total time in bed), and number and duration of visitsby caregivers. Furthermore, server 38 can distinguish between and reportdifferent type of visits, such as check-in, taking care, and taking thebaby out of or into the crib. The day summary is an aggregation of napsthat occurred in the period of the day and typically includes the totaltime asleep and the last time asleep and wakeup time (which help to planthe next nap), as well as details such as the number of naps and totaltime in bed.

The night and the day summaries are separated by the “night_start” and“night_end” points of each day. The night_start is typically set to bethe last time the infant is put in the crib before the night's sleep andafter 6 PM. (This time is a default, which caregivers can modify, takinginto account the normal day routine in Western countries.) The night_endis the first time the infant is taken out of the crib after the nightsleep and before 9 AM (again, a default that can be modified). Theperiod between night_start and night_end is the range for collecting theevents for the night summary, while the period between night_end and thenext night_start is the range for collecting the events for the daysummary, with similar logic to that described above. The summaries canbe made available to caregivers via event summaries 150 on screen 140,for example.

It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited byway of example, and that the present invention is not limited to whathas been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scopeof the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinationsof the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations andmodifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the artupon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed inthe prior art.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A video monitoring system, comprising: acamera head, comprising an infrared illumination source and an imagesensor and is configured to transmit streaming video signals generatedby the image sensor; a mount, which is configured to hold the camerahead in a fixed location and orientation above a bed such that the imagesensor captures images from a bird's eye view of a child in the bed witha field of view from a fixed perspective that encompasses the area ofthe bed; and a processor, which is configured to receive and analyze thevideo signals so as to extract and provide information to a clientdevice with regard to a behavior of the child, wherein the mount isselected from a set of mounts including a base having multiple legs forfloor mounting and a flat base for at least one of shelf mounting andwall mounting, and the camera head is configured to be attached to anddetached from any of the mounts in the set.
 2. The system according toclaim 1, wherein the processor is configured to extract and provide theinformation with regard to sleep behavior of the child.
 3. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to extract andprovide the information with regard to development milestones of thechild.
 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mount isconfigured so that the image sensor captures images of the bed and anintervention region adjacent to the bed.
 5. The system according toclaim 1, wherein the camera head comprises a receptacle configured toaccept a plug on the mount, and wherein the plug on each of the mountshas a distinguishing feature that fits into the receptacle and enablesthe camera head to identify the mount to which the camera head isattached.
 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the infraredillumination source directs infrared illumination toward the crib from alower side of the camera head.
 7. The system according to claim 1,wherein the camera head is configured to transmit the streaming videosignals over a local network in data packets that are addressed so thatthe video signals are forwarded both locally to the client device on thelocal network and via a public network to a remote server, from whichvideo images are available remotely to the client device.
 8. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the camera head is configured to transmitthe streaming video signals over a network to a server, which comprisesthe processor, and the server is configured to analyze the video signalsso as to extract and provide the information regarding the behavior ofthe child.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processoris configured to analyze the streaming video signals so as to detect andlog events associated with the behavior of the child.
 10. The apparatusaccording to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to output asummary of the logged events to the client device.
 11. The apparatusaccording to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to presentthe summary in a graphical form, which indicates states of behavior ofthe child and respective periods of time during which the statesoccurred.
 12. A video monitoring system, comprising: a camera head,comprising an infrared illumination source and an image sensor and isconfigured to transmit streaming video signals generated by the imagesensor; a mount, which is configured to hold the camera head in a fixedlocation and orientation above a bed such that the image sensor capturesimages from a bird's eye view of a child in the bed with a field of viewfrom a fixed perspective that encompasses the area of the bed; and aprocessor, which is configured to receive and analyze the video signalsso as to extract and provide information to a client device with regardto a behavior of the child, wherein the infrared illumination sourcedirects infrared illumination toward the crib from a lower side of thecamera head, and wherein the camera head comprises a night light, whichis configured to emit visible illumination from an upper side of thecamera head.
 13. A video monitoring system, comprising: a camera head,comprising an infrared illumination source and an image sensor and isconfigured to transmit streaming video signals generated by the imagesensor; a mount, which is configured to hold the camera head in a fixedlocation and orientation above a bed such that the image sensor capturesimages from a bird's eye view of a child in the bed with a field of viewfrom a fixed perspective that encompasses the area of the bed; and aprocessor, which is configured to receive and analyze the video signalsso as to extract and provide information to a client device with regardto a behavior of the child, wherein the processor is configured toanalyze the streaming video signals so as to detect and log eventsassociated with the behavior of the child, wherein the images include anintervention region adjacent to the bed, and wherein at least some ofthe events that are detected and logged by the processor are based onanalyzing actions of a caregiver in the intervention region.
 14. Thesystem according to claim 13, wherein the mount comprises a tripod basecomprising three legs, wherein one of the legs is rotatable or removablein order to transform the mount from a freestanding configuration to awall-supported configuration.
 15. The system according to claim 14,wherein the mount is configured to stand between the crib and a walladjacent to the crib and comprises at least one overmolded set screw,which is configured both to enable rotation and locking of the mount andto serve as a bumper against the wall.
 16. A method for monitoring,comprising: providing a camera head, comprising an infrared illuminationsource and an image sensor; providing a mount configured to hold thecamera head in a fixed location and orientation above a bed with a fieldof view from a fixed perspective that encompasses the area of the bedsuch that the image sensor captures images from a bird's eye view of achild in the bed; and receiving and analyzing streaming video signalsgenerated by the image sensor so as to extract and provide informationto a client device with regard to a behavior of the child, whereinanalyzing the streaming video signals comprises extracting and providingthe information with regard to development milestones of the child. 17.The method according to claim 16, wherein analyzing the streaming videosignals comprises extracting and providing the information with regardto sleep behavior of the child.
 18. The method according to claim 16,wherein the mount is configured so that the image sensor captures imagesof the bed and an intervention region adjacent to the bed.